West Perry School District

The West Perry School District is pleased you are considering volunteering your time to assist the staff and students of the district. Becoming a volunteer is governed by our Board Policy 916, which you may review for more details. West Perry has two types of volunteers:

• Guest Volunteer - an adult who voluntarily provides a service to the district, without compensation, who: (1) works directly under the supervision and direction of a school administrator, a teacher, or other member of the school staff; and (2) does not have direct volunteer contact. Examples include, but are not limited to, volunteering to assist in classroom celebrations, school assemblies, or school concerts; reading to students; collecting tickets at sporting events; working concession stands; participating in “Career Day,” etc. Guest Volunteers are approved by the building administrator upon signing up to volunteer throughout the school year. Guest Volunteers do not need to fill out an application.
• Position Volunteer - an adult applying for or holding an unpaid position with a school or a program, activity or service, as a person responsible for the child’s welfare or having direct volunteer contact with children. Examples include, but are not limited to, field trip chaperones, tutors, coaches, activity advisors, recess or library aides, etc. Position Volunteers must complete an application and be approved by the School Board. Several documents are required to be submitted with the application.

Additionally, we offer a Volunteer Incentive Program (VIP). This volunteer service program for senior citizens is designed to reduce their real estate taxes. Seniors can perform many different volunteer services in schools throughout the district. Participants may earn a rebate towards their property taxes in exchange for that service.

Participants must be:

• Owners of real property in the West Perry School District
• At least 60 years old by 12/31 of the year in which they volunteer
• Approved position volunteers

Participants will be required to submit a timesheet documenting their volunteer hours. The rebate only applies to property owned by participants, and the maximum rebate is $600 for 60 hours of service. The rebate amount cannot exceed the actual amount of taxes due. Rebates will be issued to the VIP participants after they pay their property tax bills issued in July.

**Any PSERS retiree "volunteering" through the VIP program would be subject to the Return to Service provisions of the Retirement Code, including the stoppage of their monthly annuity, because the retiree is receiving retirement-covered compensation.**

All Position volunteers are required to submit the following:

1. Act 34 - Pennsylvania Criminal History Certification.
2.  Act 115 - Pennsylvania Child Abuse History Certification.
3.  Act 114 - FBI Criminal History Certification or Affidavit Section 6344.2 (b.1) permits an exception related to the federal background check. Prospective unpaid volunteers who have been a resident of Pennsylvania during the entirety of the previous ten-year period may complete the West Perry School District Volunteer Affidavit in lieu of the FBI Criminal History Certification.
4. Results of a TB test dated within one year of the volunteer application

No individual will be approved to serve as a volunteer if their criminal history, child abuse history, or FBI criminal history certification, as required by this policy, reports an offense that would preclude them from being employed by the district.

Certifications shall be renewed:

• Continuous service, every five (5) years
• Break in service, the volunteer will be required to submit updated certifications that are dated within twelve (12) months of application.

The Pennsylvania Department of Education's Clearances and Background Checks page provides more information about the required clearances and the process for obtaining them.